Concrete panel

ABSTRACT

A building panel system includes a plurality of full size panels and half-size panels mountable to each other for building a wall. The panels each include a longitudinally extending rectangular parallelepiped elongate horizontal member. The full size and half-size panels have substantially equivalent height and depth dimensions. The full size panels each include a longitudinally spaced apart pair of vertically extending hollow pilaster columns formed on a rear face of the horizontal member. The pair is spaced apart so as to position each column of the pair towards opposite ends of the horizontal member. The half-size panels each include a single vertically extending hollow pilaster column formed on a rear face of the horizontal member. The pilaster columns extend vertically by the height dimension.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of modular wall construction, and inparticular to improved wall forming panels which interlock by the use ofvertically aligning hollow columns which, when concrete filled, formreinforced cores within the vertical columns.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The prior art is replete with the use of construction blocks formingwalls. In the prior art, conventional brick and mortar construction ofwalls has now been joined by the use of hollow building blocks, whetherformed as parallelepipeds or other curvi-linear shapes which allow forthe construction of arcuately curved retaining walls and the like.

By way of example, applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 1,428,470 whichissued Sep. 5, 1922, to Brainerd for a Wall Construction. Brainerddiscloses the use of oppositely disposed dove-tailed channels andcorresponding projections for use on elongated studs so as to provide aninterlocking means adapted to be employed in building construction torigidly unite various elements of the structure.

Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 1,578,861 which issued Mar. 30,1926 to Squire for a Composite Wall and Method of Construction of Same.Squire discloses providing adjustable abutment members for adjustablymounting precast concrete panels onto pilings driven into the ground.Adjustment is provided by the use of oversized diameter apertures in theprecast abutment members where the diameter of the aperture exceeds thediameter of the pilings thereby allowing the abutment members to beadjusted about the pilings to bring the members into accurate alignmentand position.

Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,031 which issued Oct. 14,1969, to Kelso for a Precast Concrete Body. Kelso discloses a precastconcrete body having a configuration to form bulk heads, retainingwalls, pilings and other similar structures, and utilizes a crosssectional shape having a relatively minimal volume of precast concrete.The pre-cast body may be joined with similar bodies in an end to endrelation so as to form a piling or retaining wall. One embodiment istaught to be an enclosed equilateral triangle so as to define main sidesurfaces each inwardly curved to define concave surfaces. Openings areprovided for reinforcing means such as cables or rods. A central openingis formed in the body.

Applicant is also aware of Canadian patent number 949,767 which issuedJun. 25, 1974, to Campbell for a Concrete Block Wall Panel. Campbelldiscloses a concrete block panel which includes a plurality of rows ofconcrete blocks where each block has flat top and bottom surfaces andinter engaging projections and recesses at opposite side edges thereof.

Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,707 which issued Apr. 30,1991, to Nelson et al for a Retaining Block Module. Nelson discloses theuse of a plurality of interlocking blocks to form a retaining wall,where each block includes at least one vertical side, a leg connectingmeans attached to a vertical side and a central passage way. In oneembodiment the leg extended laterally from the body. A connecting meansis formed on the end surface of the leg which interconnects with a legconnecting means located on the body. The block modules are positionedside by side and are interconnected in a horizontal row so that thehorizontal rows of blocked modules may be stacked one above the other toprovide the wall. The aligning of the central passageways on stackedblock modules create a column space into which is poured concrete toform vertical concrete columns.

The applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,913 which issued May18, 2004, to Saunders et al for a Block Wall System. Saunders disclosesthe use of a plurality of piers positioned at pre determined intervals.A pilaster is mounted on each of the piers. The pilasters are formed byvertically stacked masonry blocks that are attached to the correspondingpier by a reinforcing rod extending upwardly from the pier through avertical mortarless void in the blocks. Courses of masonry blocks formwall panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention may be characterised in one aspect as providing asystem for constructing a wall of building panels, each of the panelsbeing elongated and adapted to stack in rows so as to form horizontaltiers in a vertically extended wall. Each panel has at least one hollowrearward projection on the rear face of the panel formed by a verticallyextending hollow column or pilaster which extends vertically the entireheight of the panel when the panel is laid horizontally in its operativeorientation. The hollow vertical columns are aligned between panels inadjacent tiers so as to form hollow cavities' which extends the entirevertical height of the wall. Advantageously the panels are staggeredbetween adjacent tiers. Once the plurality of tiers of the horizontaladjacent panels are constructed rigidly setting fill such as concrete ispoured into the vertical hollow columns to thereby brace the wall oncethe fill sets.

Horizontal and vertical steel reinforcement bar is integrated into theprecast panels. The reinforcing bar extends around, embedded in, thehollow columns or pilasters so as to form reinforced cages surroundingthe fill columns. Horizontal reinforcement bar is also used to formlifting bars or lugs extending across the cavity in the verticalcolumns. Vertical reinforcement bars are inserted into the hollowvertical columns so as to reinforce the rigidly setting fill used tofill the vertical cavities in the columns.

It is one object of the present invention to provide such a system toreplace for example poured-in-place concrete walls formed betweenconstructed forms which are removed once the concrete walls have set,and to provide multiple structure reinforced concrete columns in aprecast wall system that tie the precast wall components together,wherein staggering wall panels provides structural strength to entirewall system.

In summary then, the building panel system according to one aspect ofthe present invention may be characterized as including plurality offull size panels and half-sized panels mountable to each other forbuilding a wall, wherein the full size panels include a longitudinallyextending rectangular parallelepiped elongate first horizontal memberhaving a first longitudinally length, and the half-size panels include alongitudinally extending elongate rectangular parallelepiped secondhorizontal member having a second longitudinal length.

The full size and half-size panels have substantially equivalent heightand depth dimensions. The full size panels each include a longitudinallyspaced apart pair of vertically extending first hollow pilaster columnsformed on a rear face of the first horizontal member. The pair is spacedapart so as to position each column of the pair towards opposite ends ofthe first horizontal member. The columns extend vertically by the heightdimension and are inset from opposite ends of the first horizontalmember by a first inset distance from each opposite end of the firsthorizontal member,

The half-size panels each include a vertically extending second hollowpilaster column formed on a rear face of the second horizontal member.The second hollow pilaster column extends vertically the heightdimension and is inset from the opposite ends of the second horizontalmember by a second inset distance from each opposite end of the oppositeend of said second horizontal member.

Advantageously, the pair of vertically extending first hollow pilastercolumns are spaced apart by a third distance, where the sum of the firstand second inset distances substantially equals said third distance.

The plurality of full size and half-size panels are adapted to bemounted side-by-side in horizontal tiers wherein the half-size panelsare adapted to be mounted in staggered relation, staggered as betweenadjacent tiers. Anti-rotation plates may be provided for mounting so asto extend between adjacent half-size and full size panels to therebyinhibit rotation of the half-size panels relative to the full sizepanels.

The pilaster columns each define a vertical hollow cavity adapted forfilling with rigidly setting fill. The horizontal tiers of adjacent thefull size blocks, when staggered between adjacent tiers, are adapted tobe staggered so as to vertically align the pilaster columns betweenadjacent tiers. The half-size panels are adapted to be staggeredrelative to the full size panels at alternating ends of the tiers so asto align the pilaster columns on the half-size panels with correspondingpilaster columns on the full size panels in adjacent tiers.

Elongate lifting lugs may be mounted in the pilaster columns as toextend across the cavities. The lugs extend, so as to cantilever lugends of the lugs, rearwardly from the pilaster columns. The lug ends maybe adapted to mount to stabilizing support means such as ground anchorsfor stabilizing the tiers during assembly of the tiers. The lugs may besubstantially horizontal and positioned substantially medially along theheight of each pilaster column.

In one embodiment each cavity has upper and lower portions which areeach substantially in a frustoconical shape so that each cavity isformed as a substantially waisted shape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is, in front elevation view, a full sized precast concrete wallpanel according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2, in rear elevation view, the full size panel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is, in plan view, the full sized wall panel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is, in front elevation view, a half-sized precast concrete wallpanel according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is, in rear elevation view, the half size wall of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view through a wall panel according to thepresent invention illustrating lifting rod location, joint grouting, andcore fill.

FIG. 7 in, an cross sectional view, a wall panel showing a wall panelunit connection plate and fastening means for connecting a half sizewall panel to a full size wall panel

FIG. 8 is sectional view of a completed wall according to the presentinvention serving as a retainer wall and illustrating a ground anchoranchoring the retaining wall into the surrounding earth.

FIG. 9 is, in perspective view, a building wall embodiment using thefull sized and half size wall panels according to the present inventionmounted on a concrete strip footing, illustrating how walls according topresent invention are strengthened by the use of core fill formingparallel vertical reinforcing columns along the rear surface of thewalls, and the staggering offset of arrays of half size and full sizedpanels forming the completed walls.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As seen in the accompanying figures wherein like reference numeralsdenote corresponding parts in each view, a full size pre-cast concretewall panel 8, which may in one embodiment have a longitudinal dimensionof substantially eight feet and a height dimension of substantially twofeet, and as better described below, includes an exterior face 10 on afront side of the wall panel 8, and on the reverse, rear face, a spacedapart parallel pair of concrete wall projections 10 a. Rear wallprojections 10 a define vertical hollow cavities which extend the fullheight of the wall projections and wall panel. When a complete wall hasbeen assembled using the wall panels according to the present invention,including full size wall panels 8 and half size wall panels 8 a, thevertical hollow cavities extend in vertical columns aligned betweenadjacent wall panels The hollow vertical columns are filled, as betterdescribed below, with rigidly setting fill, for example cast-in-placereinforced concrete core fill 11.

On half inch diameter rigid lifting rods 12 are cast into precastconcrete wall 12, and also into the corresponding wall projections 10 ain half size precast wall panels 8 a. Rods 12 extend laterally andsubstantially horizontally across the vertical hollow cavities of wallprojections 10 a. A distal end 12 a of the lifting rods 12 extendcantilevered out from the exposed face of the wall projections 10 a soas to extend substantionaly orthogonally from the back of the wallunits. In one embodiment, each distal end 12 a extends approximately 3inches from the rear surface of the corresponding wall projection 10 aso as to provide an anchor for temporary wall bracing (not shown). Thetemporary wall bracing may be used until core fill 11 has been pouredinto, so as to fill, the hollow cavities of wall projections 10 a. Oncethe core fill has set, and the structural strength thereby added by therigid vertical columns formed by the set core fill, the wall panels asassembled are stabilized so that the temporary wall bracing anchors andwall bracing may be removed.

Alignment stud anchors 13 are also cast into the precast wall panelsduring their manufacture. Alignment stud anchors 13 are used where halfsize wall panels 8 a are installed adjacent to full size precast wallpanels 8. Alignment stud anchors 13 align the half size wall panels 8 awith the adjacent full size wall panels 8. For example, alignment studanchors 13 prevent the half size wall panels 8 a from rotating ortwisting in a horizontal plane out of planer vertical alignment with thewall being constructed, where such rotation or twisting may be possibledue to the half size wall panels 8 a only having a single wallprojection 10 a and corresponding single column of core fill 11.

Alignment anchor plates 14 are employed to maintain the half size wallpanels 8 a in their co-planer alignment with the adjacent full size wallpanel 8 during instillation of the wall panel. Fasteners 15, which mayfor example be one half inch diameter bolts and corresponding fasteningnuts and washers, fasten the anchor plates 14 b to the adjacent edges ofa half size wall panel 8 a on one side, and a full size wall panel 8 onthe other, so that the anchor plate 14 ridges the joint between the wallpanels. By way of example, anchor plate 14 may be eight inches long bythree inches wide and be of ¼ inch steel plate. Wall caps 16, which arealso precast, are installed along the top edge of the walls constructedof wall panels 8 and 8 a. Wall caps 16 may be secured in place by theuse of pin anchors and mortar as would be known to one skilled in theart.

Joints 17 between adjacent wall units 8, 8 a, may be either filled witha concrete mortar or caulking. Mortar may be installed before or afterthe construction of the wall from wall panels 8, 8 a. Caulked joints maybe similarly installed. Alternatively, a combination of mortar andjoints and caulked joints may be used. In colder climates, joints 17 inretaining walls may be left open to allow water drainage through thejoints as would be known to one skilled in the art.

Reinforcing bars 18 provide reinforcing for core fill 11 within thevertically extending, hollow cavities in wall projections 10 a. Thereinforcing is installed down along the length of the cavity once wallpanels 8, 8 a are installed. The core fill 11 is used to fill thecavities around the reinforcing bars 18.

A conventional retaining wall anchor may be mounted to wall units 8, or8 a in wall 6 by, for example, drilling holes through the rear wall ofwall projections 10 a and mounting therethrough anchor rods 20 so as tosecure by means of anchor plate 19, the rod to wall 6. The opposite endof rods 20 are secured by anchor units 21 as would be known to oneskilled in the art. Plates 19 and anchor units 21 may be secured to theopposite ends of rods 20 by means of nuts 22 mounted onto the threadedends of the rods.

In a preferred embodiment, retaining wall footings 23 are constructedbefore the construction of wall 6 by means of casting in place a stripfooting 23 of concrete incorporating reinforcing bars 24. Footing 23extends around the circumference of the walls 6 to be built of wallpanels 8 and 8 a.

As would be known to one skilled in the art, advantageously at the footof the rear surface of wall 6, weeping tile or like drainage means 25are mounted along the foot of the wall, for example held in place bymeans of a gravel berm, which provides additional drainage.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of theforegoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible inthe practice of this invention without departing from the spirit orscope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to beconstrued in accordance with the substance defined by the followingclaims.

1. A building panel system comprising: a full size panel and a half-sizepanel wherein said full size panel includes a longitudinally extendingrectangular parallelepiped elongate first horizontal member having afirst longitudinally length, said half-size panel including alongitudinally extending elongate rectangular parallelepiped secondhorizontal member having a second longitudinal length, said full sizeand half-size panel having substantially equivalent height and depthdimensions, wherein said full size panel includes a longitudinallyspaced apart pair of vertically extending first hollow pilaster columnsformed on a rear face of said first horizontal member, said pair spacedapart so as to position each said column of said pair towards oppositeends of said first horizontal member, said columns extending verticallyby said height dimension and inset from said opposite ends of said firsthorizontal member by a first inset distance from each said opposite endof said first horizontal member, and wherein said half-size panelincludes a vertically extending second hollow pilaster column formed ona rear face of said second horizontal member, said second hollowpilaster column extending vertically said height dimension and insetfrom opposite ends of said second horizontal member by a second insetdistance from each said opposite end of said second horizontal member.2. The system of claim 1 wherein said pair of vertically extending firsthollow pilaster columns are spaced apart by a third distance, andwherein the sum of said first and second inset distances substantiallyequals said third distance.
 3. The system of claim 2 further comprisinga plurality of said full size and half-size panel adapted to be mountedside-by-side in horizontal tiers wherein said half-size panels areadapted to be mounted in staggered relation, staggered as betweenadjacent said tiers.
 4. The system of claim 3 further comprisinganti-rotation plates for mounting so as to extend between adjacent saidhalf-size and full size panels to thereby inhibit rotation of saidhalf-size panels relative to said full size panels.
 5. The system ofclaim 2 wherein said pilaster columns each define a vertical hollowcavity adapted for filling with rigidly setting fill, and whereinhorizontal tiers of adjacent said full size blocks, when staggeredbetween adjacent said tiers, are adapted to be staggered so as tovertically align said pilaster columns between adjacent said tiers. 6.The system of claim 5 wherein said half-size panels are adapted to bestaggered relative to said full size panels at alternating ends of saidtiers so as to align said pilaster columns on said half-size panels withcorresponding said pilaster columns on said full size panels in adjacentsaid tiers.
 7. The system of claim 6 further comprising elongate liftinglugs mounted in said pilaster columns across said cavities.
 8. Thesystem of claim 7 wherein said lugs extend, so as to cantilever lug endsof said lugs, rearwardly from said pilaster columns, and wherein saidlug ends are adapted to mount to stabilizing support means stabilizingsaid tiers during assembly of said tiers.
 9. The system of claim 8wherein said lugs are substantially horizontal and positionedsubstantially medially along said height of said pilaster column. 10.The system of claim 9 wherein each said cavity has upper and lowerportions and wherein each said upper and lower portion is formedsubstantially in a frustoconical shape so that each said cavity isformed as a substantially waisted shape.